1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Pachinko games and, in particular, to a Pachinko stand-alone game and to a Pachinko bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
2. Statement of the Problem
Slot machine bonusing features have become popular, and examples of their success include WHEEL OF GOLD, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY!, REEL `EM IN, PIGGY BANKIN`, and many others. What has been heretofore lacking is a bonus game which utilizes the excitement and dynamic qualities of Pachinko. A need exists to provide a form of Pachinko as a bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
One problem associated with Pachinko games, in general, is that wear and tear caused by repeated play causes bias to occur wherein a ball may more frequently pass through certain lanes rather than through other lanes. A need exists to provide random payoffs during the play of Pachinko whether as a bonus game for an underlying game or as a stand-alone game despite bias caused by wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,879 provides a Pachinko game wherein one of a fixed set of scoring value symbols (i.e., the $100, plum and cherry symbols as shown in FIG. 4) associated with each scoring slot is selectively illuminated for the entire game. A random number generator has a plurality of numbers which are assigned to each of the value symbols so that at the insertion of a bet, the random number generator identifies which of the three possible value symbols will be active in each scoring slot for that particular game. While this solves the above-stated need to overcome bias, it limits payoff to a fixed or static number of value symbols provided at each slot. Once a set of values are allocated, the random selection merely reassigns the allocated values to new scoring slots in the next game. In order to provide a higher payoff, the '879 patent provides a "free" game. If during the "free" game the player hits a back-to-back jackpot, then a large payoff is made. For example, when the player receives three "100s," the player receives a "free" game. In the "free" game, if the player again receives three "100s," the player wins the large payoff. A need exists to provide a Pachinko game that does not provide a static number of payoff value symbols for each slot and also provides a full range of higher payoff awards without the requirement of a "free" game. A need also exists to provide displayed payoff values at each lane that change during the play of the game.
Finally, a need also exists to provide additional excitement to the conventional play of a game such as video poker, slot machines and the like by providing additional random play in the dispensing of different values when a winning combination on the game is obtained.